


New Moon

by seraphina_snape



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Episode Related, Episode: s02e08 Raving, Gen, Other, Werewolf Chris Argent, talk about suicide
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-10-20
Updated: 2013-10-20
Packaged: 2017-12-29 23:47:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 638
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1011514
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/seraphina_snape/pseuds/seraphina_snape
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"Raving" AU. After Chris realizes what his wife is up to and tries to stop her from violating the code, he ends up being bitten by Derek, not Victoria. Instead of killing himself, though, Chris decides to make the best of a bad situation.</p>
            </blockquote>





	New Moon

**Author's Note:**

> The title and summary were written by me for a challenge at [beacon_hills](http://beacon-hills.livejournal.com/). The full summary was "AU from 'Raving' onwards. Chris realizes what his wife is up to and tries to stop her from violating the code. He ends up being bitten by Derek, not Victoria. Instead of killing himself, though, Chris decides to make the best of a bad situation. While Victoria is still struggling to decide where she stands, Gerard doesn't hesitate to put dealing with Chris on top of his to do list. Chris has to form a reluctant alliance with Derek Hale to save his own life and his daughter's sanity." This fic was written for another challenge for the same community.

The ride home had been quiet. Allison, her face a mixture of petulance and anger, had her arms crossed and head turned away. Victoria, in the passenger seat, was stoically staring ahead. She hardly even blinked. 

Chris himself kept both hands on the wheel. He drove his family home and concentrated on the road. He had zipped up his leather jacket to his the blood on his shirt from Allison. The pain from the bite wound was relatively minor. Chris wasn't sure if that was just the adrenaline or because his transformation had already started and his accelerated healing had already kicked in. 

Allison disappeared upstairs as soon as they got home, slamming her door behind her. Victoria headed towards the kitchen and Chris followed her, shrugging off the jacket and draping it over one of the chairs.

Victoria pulled the first aid kit from below the sink and took out what she'd need to clean and dress his wounds. 

Chris unbuttoned his shirt and slipped it off the shoulder. He used the edge of the fabric to mop up some of the blood. "It's already healing," he said.

Victoria drew in a sharp breath and dropped the bandage she was holding.

Their eyes met over the counter. 

"You know what that means," Victoria said. "You know what you have to do." 

To anyone else, she would have sounded cold, emotionless. But Chris had spent the last twenty-odd years at her side. He could hear the slight tremor in her voice and see the way she clenched her teeth and curled her hands into fists.

Chris' own hand was shaking as he pulled his gun from his holster and put it down on the counter. 

It was an old tradition. Not just a family tradition but a hunter tradition. If a hunter was bitten, they did the honorable thing and took their own life rather than turn from hunter into hunted. Chris generally agreed with the tradition. If a hunter was bitten by a rogue, chances were it was feral and dangerous. And likely the reason why the hunter was there in the first place. 

"He didn't mean to bite me. He was defending himself." 

"And what? That makes it okay? He didn't mean it, so it's fine?" Victoria's voice rose and Chris glanced at the stairs. 

"No, it's not fine!" he said sharply. He had long ago accepted that he and Victoria were not good people. They tried to do the right thing, but their lifestyle didn't always allow it. There still had to be limits. "But neither is trying to hurt an innocent."

Victoria's eyes narrowed dangerously, and Chris tensed. Normally he could read his wife like a book, but this situation was unlike anything he'd ever imagined. Did she regard him as the enemy, a monster? Or did she still see him as her husband?

"Are you saying it's my fault?"

"No." Chris sighed. "I'm saying it's no one's fault. Me killing myself and you going after Derek is not going to help anyone. There would still be the kanima and the rest of Derek's pack to deal with - unless you kill them all, one of those kids would become the new alpha." 

Victoria closed her eyes briefly and Chris took it as a good omen. If she trusted him enough to give him such an opening, maybe there was still a chance.

"Derek Hale is the lesser of two evils," she said, her tone resigned. Her gaze flickered to Chris' gun that still sat on the counter between them. "You father is not going to like this." 

Chris met Victoria's eyes. "My father is not the head of this family."

"No." Victoria's back straightened a little. "He is not." 

Chris put his gun back into its holster and allowed himself a small, proud smile.


End file.
